In Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, officials confirmed that all 10 militants involved in a suicide bombing at a military facility were killed during an 18-hour operation. The incident occurred in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where a suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden vehicle into an army housing complex, causing the death of eight soldiers when the attacker breached the outer wall. The attack was claimed by a faction of the Pakistani Taliban under the command of Gul Bahadur, drawing condemnation from Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and other authorities. The military reported that the suicide blast resulted in the collapse of a section of the wall and inflicted damage on nearby structures, leading to the fatalities of the eight soldiers.
Security forces swiftly responded to the assault, eliminating all ten assailants, the military stated, emphasizing that their prompt and efficient reaction prevented a larger catastrophe. Pakistan has consistently expressed concerns to the Afghan Taliban government, urging them to halt the exploitation of Afghan territory by terrorists and to take decisive action against such elements. The military affirmed the commitment of Pakistan’s armed forces to defend the nation and its citizens against terrorism, vowing to undertake all necessary measures to counter threats originating from Afghanistan. Kabul had not issued an immediate response to the incident.
In recent years, Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant attacks, particularly in the northwest regions bordering Afghanistan. Previous attacks of similar nature have been attributed to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a distinct group aligned with the Afghan Taliban, who intensified assaults on security forces across Pakistan following the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2021.
